Friday 31 October 2008
Where are they now? – Paul Crouch
An article for the TWGSB old boys news
When posed this question, a three part answer sprung to mind: where I am physically, where I am professionally and where are my thoughts:
Physically – Let’s deal with this first, as it’s easy. I live in
Professionally – I am currently Network Procurement Director at BT, responsible for global purchasing across a broad spectrum of categories. Most significantly I own the relationship BT has with Alcatel-Lucent. Responsible for millions of pounds worth of spend, my role takes me across the world. I’ve been very fortunate to be involved in numerous international initiatives and deals, where I’ve not only learnt new skills, but been able to absorb and embrace new cultures – highly recommended.
So whilst my previous section stated I live in
On reflection – Whether it’s David Madin’s aphorism “Maths is fun” or Hugh Jenkins’ motto “… it’s all about supply and demand” the skills learnt at
The market place is tough at the moment and I’m feeling that personally from a number of perspectives (home-owner, mortgage, share-holder, employee, employer, husband [no comment], parent and volunteer debt advisor). All that said, there is still a thirst for talent - business is changing, the past doesn’t dictate the future and there is a real need for innovative solutions and new thinking.
My personal opinion is that if you get the equilibrium of academia with life-skills, then numerous doors are unlocked for you, and I think that was (and hopefully still is) one of the schools key successes. It set me up well for university (I graduated in Mathematics from
So… that’s a whistle-stop tour of where I am. My email address is below, feel free to drop me a note if you want to get in touch.
Network Procurement Director, BT
TWGSB: 1990-1997 & Head-boy 1996/7
Paul.Crouch@bt.com